Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Several novice adventurers nearby recognized the female mage.

"Is that Selena?"

"It really is her..."

"My God, she actually went up to him on her own initiative?"

Selena was known for her aloofness within the Adventurers' Guild of White Cliff City.

Her suitors could line up from the guild entrance to the street corner, but she never gave any of them a kind look.

Add to that her hot figure and aloof face.

She has long been the dream girl of countless novice adventurers.

And now, this aloof female mage is not only taking the initiative to approach a man.

She even took off her coat, lowered her neckline, and said so many suggestive things.

The man didn't even lift his eyelids.

The newbies' gazes towards Lin Gui shifted from curiosity to admiration.

"Boss, you're really amazing."

A young man gave a thumbs up, his admiration undisguised.

"Selena! That's Selena! I'd be happy for three days if she just glanced at me, and you...you didn't even react?"

Several people nearby nodded in agreement and chimed in with their own comments.

"She usually looks at us newbies like we're just roadside stones."

"He actually came up to me on his own initiative today and said so much..."

"How did you do that, sir?"

As Lin Gui registered the next letter, he casually replied:

"I didn't really do it, I just wasn't interested."

His tone was very calm, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

The newbies exchanged glances, some muttering under their breath, "No interest... that's Selena, after all..."

Lin Gui didn't respond to that.

He really didn't have any feelings for that female mage.

On the contrary, it was the bald, burly man from earlier who caught his attention.

The man's arrival served as a reminder to him.

He has already begun to approach the central city-state.

This also means that there are difficulties and troubles that were not encountered when delivering mail before.

They're coming to us one by one.

Delivering messages is a very lucrative business in the post-apocalyptic city-state.

Letters are easy to carry, don't take up much space, and don't increase the risk of crossing the wilderness.

But it remains a high-return transportation contract.

These all involve a host of interests, and the forces involved in these interests are definitely not simple.

His seven-copper-coin post office was essentially taking away other people's livelihood.

In the past, Lin Gui rarely considered these issues.

Because of his first route.

From New Testament City to Avalon.

Apart from the capital of Carter, none of the city-states they passed through could be considered normal.

No one in the New Testament City stopped him from opening a post office because there wasn't even a single person in that small city-state who could cross the wilderness.

Even if the price is raised to 10,000 gold coins, no one will buy it.

The city of Kalan was lost because noble knights had fled, and there were few who could cross the Withered Rift.

The seventeen city-states within the Wailing Wall are devoid of any living people, let alone any other inhabitants.

Even in Dragonbone City.

It was also because the golden adventurers, nobles, and knights all ran away.

That's how he was able to open a post office so smoothly and do the mail delivery business that could bankrupt his competitors.

However, the closer he gets to the central city-state, the greater the resistance he will encounter.

Nobles, powerful figures, wealthy merchants, and adventurers can all become obstacles to one's progress.

The bald guy who was causing trouble earlier was intimidated by his levitation technique.

But this is only temporary.

The existence of levitation ability suggests, to some extent, that he is a member of the transport team.

But in reality, Lin Gui did not actually join any transport team.

It's not difficult to find out if you belong to the transport team.

So, if you don't want to get into trouble.

It's best to complete the mail delivery and receipt requests as quickly as possible, and then leave as soon as possible.

Or, actually create a transport team.

They turned the transport fleet they had used to fool customers into a reality.

Lin Gui handed out the last letter and watched as the white-haired old man was helped out of the guild gate.

A system notification sounded in my mind.

The acceptance rate has exceeded the required 70%, reaching 93%.

But the letters he sent out were only a quarter of the 324 letters that were to be sent to Baiya City.

In other words, almost half of the letters could not be delivered.

Lin Gui sighed and began tidying up the things on the table.

The paper and pen were put away in the storage space, the table was returned to the guild, and the money bag was tied back to the waist.

He stood up, pushed through the now thinned crowd, and walked out of the Adventurers' Guild.

……

The streets of White Cliff City are much wider than those of Dragonbone City.

The road was paved with white flagstones, which gleamed with a cool white light in the sunlight.

The buildings on both sides are also mostly built with this white stone.

Neat and clean, with a cold, icy beauty.

The city-state is named after this type of stone, white rock.

A building material with a hard texture and pure color, which is very suitable for building high-rise buildings.

The towering magic towers of the Thousand Towers City are built using the white rocks of White Cliff City.

However, now that the construction of the Thousand Pagodas in the Thousand Pagodas City is basically complete, the demand for Baiyan is constantly decreasing.

The once bustling Baiya City has gradually fallen into decline.

There were quite a few people on the street, but most of them were in a hurry, with an indescribable weariness on their faces.

The shops are still open, but there aren't many customers.

Several taverns had faded signs hanging outside, and faint, intermittent laughter and chatter could be heard coming from inside.

Lin Gui walked slowly, his eyes scanning the shops on both sides.

Find a suitable shop and open the post office tomorrow.

He stopped after walking a few steps.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar figure.

It's Selena.

She stood a few steps behind him, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, watching him.

Lin Gui glanced at her and tried to walk past her, but was stopped by her.

Lin Gui didn't expect that even after he had seen through her thoughts, she would still pester him.

"What's up?"

Selena smiled and stood beside him.

"Don't be so cold, young mage."

Her tone was much more natural than before. Gone was the deliberate coquettishness; instead, there was a greater sense of frankness.

"I admit, I want to learn levitation."

"But you do need my help."

"Your troubles are not over yet."

She glanced at the street corner out of the corner of her eye.

Lin Gui followed her gaze.

At the street corner, a dusty figure flashed by and disappeared into the alley.

"The man with hyena teeth."

Selena said softly, a playful smile playing on her lips.

"You think it's over just because you scared Cohen away? That guy's got a nerve, he's been watching you for a while now."

"They've probably already checked your identity with the transportation association."

"The commission to deliver letters involves interests, although it's not a huge one in Baiya City."

"It's nothing to the noble lords and knights above."

"But for an adventurer like Cohen, it's a huge sum of money."

"He won't just let you ruin his livelihood."

Lin Gui didn't say anything and continued walking forward.

Selena followed and walked beside him at a leisurely pace.

"Besides, you're not even part of the transport team, are you?"

Her tone was casual, as if she were talking about something unimportant.

Lin Gui paused for a moment.

Selena caught that pause and her smile deepened.

"Don't be nervous, I was just saying it offhand."

She turned her head to look at Lin Gui's profile.

"The members of the transport team all have team badges issued by the guild, and they have to wear those wherever they go."

"This was voted on by those minor nobles when the Alliance Council voted, because they were afraid of offending someone they shouldn't have."

"But you didn't."

Her gaze shifted downwards, sweeping over the collar of Lin Gui's robe.

"I have been keeping an eye on the Transport Guild of Baiya City."

"I remember every transport team and every member who transited through."

"Anliu Freight, Longjian Caravan, Greystone Transportation... I know them all, and I even know the people in them."

"But you're definitely not in there."

Lin Gui stopped and turned to look at her.

Selena stopped too, tilted her head, and kept her smile.

"so what?"

Lin Gui asked.

Selena shrugged, her tone relaxed.

"So what? I'm not with Hyena Fang, what good would it do me to complain to them?"

She took half a step forward and lowered her voice.

"However, if the Hyena Fangs come to me asking about this, I might... accidentally let it slip."

"After all, I'm just a weak female mage, and I'm afraid of provoking those guys."

Lin Gui sensed the threat in her words.

He showed no emotion, simply following her lead and asking further questions:

"Those people seem really scary."

Selena thought he was finally getting nervous, and her eyes lit up.

"Of course it's terrifying."

She straightened up, her tone becoming serious, even exaggeratedly so.

"Hyena Fang has been rooted in White Cliff City for almost ten years. The leader is a mid-level Transcendent, and he has three lower-level Transcendents and six high-level Transcendents under his command."

"The ordinary members are all high-ranking, and there are more than forty of them in total."

"And behind them stands the Morton family from the north of the city, one of the oldest noble families in White Cliff."

"The Morton family maintains a knightly order, with more than thirty high-ranking knights, led by a top-tier expert of the extraordinary rank."

"Offending the fangs of the hyenas is the same as offending the Morton family."

As she spoke, she observed Lin Gui's expression.

I gestured with my fingers to indicate the numbers, trying to make him realize the seriousness of the problem.

"As a high-level mage, even if you know the Levitation spell, you can still have some influence with the Transport Guild, provided you can get there alive."

"They're going to ambush you in the alley. How many times do you think you can escape?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Lin Gui expectantly.

I wanted to see fear, panic, or at least worry on his face.

Not only did this guy not show any fear, he seemed... to be spacing out?

Selena frowned.

"Hey, are you listening?"

Lin Gui snapped out of his daze and glanced at her.

"Oh, go on."

Selena's lips twitched.

This light, airy reaction made her feel like she had punched a piece of cotton.

"At the latest, by tomorrow, after he confirms," ​​her tone turned cold, "Cohen will make his move."

"Once he makes a move, you won't get out of here alive."

Lin Gui withdrew his gaze and said calmly:

"Then we have to make the first move."

Selena was taken aback.

"What?"

"It's nothing."

Lin Gui shook his head, glancing sideways at the street corner.

There was a drab figure huddled in the shadows of the corner, peeking out every now and then.

I've been following them ever since I left the guild.

Selena noticed his gaze and lowered her voice to say:

"See? They've got their eyes on you."

She moved closer to Lin Gui, her voice softening again.

"So, young mage, you really need my help."

"I am familiar with White Cliff City, and I am also familiar with the fangs of the hyenas."

"As long as you're willing to teach me how to levitate."

I'll keep you safe.

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already quite clear.

Lin Gui stopped and turned to look at Selena.

"Release your wind magic, let me see."

Selena paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up.

She thought Lin Gui had given in, so she quickly raised her hand, palm up.

A pale blue magical power surged from her palm, swirling into several thin streams of air at her fingertips.

The air swirled, turning a few times in her palm before dissipating.

Lin Gui glanced at it.

"mediocre."

Selena's smile froze on her face.

"Your control over wind magic is terrible."

Lin Gui's tone was very calm.

"The control is very poor, the precision of the magic loop is insufficient, and the stability of the airflow swirling is also lacking."

He paused.

"The Levitation spell requires extremely high control over wind magic."

"At your current level, you won't learn it even if you practice for another ten years."

"I advise you not to waste your time on this."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Selena froze, her lips moving slightly.

"Then...how can I improve this?"

She chased after him and turned the corner.

The alley was deserted.

nobody.

Selena stood at the alley entrance, looking around.

The street was lined with closed shop doors, several baskets of rotten vegetable leaves were piled up against the wall, and a stray cat was squatting under the eaves licking its paws.

There was no trace of Lin Gui.

She took a few more steps forward and peered out at the fork in the road beside her.

empty.

Further ahead, there was a dead end, with moss growing at the base of the wall, offering no place to even step.

Selena frowned, turned back, and walked around the street once.

Still can't find it.

She stood on the street corner, looking at the empty alley, her expression shifting from confusion to disbelief.

A high-level mage just vanished into thin air?

She stood there for a while, then gritted her teeth, turned around, and left.

……

Deep in the alley, a dusty figure peeked out from the shadows in the corner of the wall.

It's the person who's been following Lin Gui.

He hunched his shoulders, looked around, took a few steps forward, and peered into the alleyway.

no one.

He walked along the alley again, clearing away every pile of clutter and kicking open every half-closed door.

Nothing was found.

He scratched his hair in frustration, muttering to himself:

"Oh no, oh no, we've lost them..."

"If the boss finds out, he'll skin me alive..."

He circled the alley twice more to make sure the person was indeed gone before dejectedly walking back.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

The alleyway quieted down.

Only the wind blew in from the street corner, stirring up a withered leaf on the ground.

The leaf twirled in the air before drifting down gently.

A hand reached out from the shadows and caught it.

Lin Gui leaned against the wall, holding the leaf in his hand, looking in the direction where the tracker had disappeared.

Then he put the leaf down, shrouded in a dark veil, and silently followed.